Note: Beginning in April, 2013, these charts are now built using data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play Store. Previously, the data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers. We believe the new data more accurately reflects those users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem.

So basically .. they now count devices that actually attach to Google Play rather than counting every single device that just happens to wake up periodically and send a heartbeat to the Google servers.

So the cynic might say that Google is skewing things for their own advantage (I’m not saying they’re unhappy with this new way of counting) but I don’t really think that’s the case here.

Honestly, most of us looking at those charts are interested in seeing what versions of the platform we should target with our apps. Those apps are distributed via Google Play … so, I agree that this is the “right way” to count.